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EDGAR M. STEVENS, OF CHELSEA, ASSIGNOR TO HIHSELF AND JOHN A. MENDUM, OF ROXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO A. B. ELY, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters .Patent No. 63,958, dated April 16, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT `IN RUBBER HEEL-STIPPENERS'.

TO ALL-WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Beit known that I, EDGAR M. STEENS, of Chelsea, in the county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Stiffeners for Heels of Boots and Shoes, of which the following is a full,V clear, and exactl description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this'specication, in whiclufa l Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved heel-stiffener.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the same, stretched open and ready to be inserted into its place in the boot or shoe.

In the rubber stiffeners for heels'oi` boots and shoes, for which Letters Patent of the United States were grantedto me on the 18th of' August, A. D. 1863, the lower portion or rim was made inl one continuous piece.

A stiifener so constructed, however, could not be. spread apart suiiciently to allow of its being easily inserted into its place between the lining and the upper, thereby consuming considerable time in itting it properly in the position which it is to occupy. My invention has for its object to overcome this difliculty, and consists in dividing the lower portion or rim of the sti'ener lso as to allow of its 'being spread apart and easily inserted into its `place in the boot or shoe.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand and use my invention,I will proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried it out. Y

In the said drawings, A represents a. stiil'ening for the heels of boots and shoes, the lower portion or rim t ofwhich is divided or cut in three places, as at 3, 4, 5. This may be done by means of any suitable cutter operated by machinery or by hand, and any desired number of cuts may be made in the portion b. By thus dividing the portion b, instead of leaving it Whole, as heretofore, the stiiener can be spread apart, as seen `in iig. 2, and easily inserted into its place between the lining and the upper of the boot or shoe while on the last. The inner sole is then tacked on and the boot or shoe completed in the ordinary manner.

`Metallic counters have been made with slits around the lower or turned-under rim, but those were, as I apprehend, for the purpose of allowing the metal to be turned over and to come under the sole without` lapping o'r being corrugated and essentially useless. This is not the c'ase with my invention, which applies only to sti'eners of rubber or lsimilar elastic material, for the rubber stiieners are made in moulds, and need no slits to make them 'fit over and under the edge of the heel. Butin tting the lining of the shoe it is necessary to insert the fingers sometimes, and in order toreach the parts, and also to sp'r-ead open the counter without tearing the lower rim, the cuts are made in such rim. The elasticity of the rubber enables this to be done without injuring the form of the counter. In metallic counters this cannot be done, as any spreading out of the metal Will at once destroy the form and spoil the thing.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A moulded heel-stifening of rubber or similar elastic material, having a slit or slits cut in the rear portion of the lower and under rim, as and for the purposes set forth. Y .E. M. STEVENS.

Witnesses:

P. E. TEscHEMAcHEn,

N. W. STEARNs. 

